FINLAND IN THE MID 1500’s

In the 1500’s Finland was divided into two parts. The western part was part of the kingdom of Sweden. At the same time the eastern part belonged to Novgorod (Russia). Olavinlinna Castle was founded in 1475 to secure the eastern border of the Kingdom of Sweden-Finland. The taxation became heavy in the southern Savo because of this huge fortification project. Peasants tried to avoid taxes by moving further north from Savo.

The king of Sweden Gustaf Wasa wanted to conquer more land from the east. He declared that “All unused lands belongs to God, us and the Swedish Crown” (in English: the King). Gustaf Wasa organized a massive removal of the Savo population over the old medieval border (Peace treaty of Pähkinänsaari 1323). The peasants had no other alternative than to obey His Majesty’s orders. Settlers got exemption from taxes for several years in the northern wilderness. Some Finns were even beaten if they did not move to the north voluntarily. That is how Lake Oulujärvi Wilds (later Kainuu) got the first Finnish settlers in 1552. About 150 Savo families built their farms in this huge wilderness. Greek Orthodox Novgorod did not like this Lutheran settlement in Lake Oulujärvi area at all. The Karelians attacked to Lake Oulujärvi in the 1570’ and 1580’s (The Old Wrath). All the farms were burned and almost all the settlers were killed in these battles. The first church of Paltamo (1559) was also burned in Manamansalo island. Before the Finns there used to live Sami people in Lake Oulujärvi area too. Those Samis withdrew up to Lappland in the 1600’s.

In 1595 Sweden and Russia signed a new peace treaty in Täyssinä. Lake Oulujärvi Wilderness, later called as PALTAMO became part of Sweden for the first time. The new settlers came from Savo and the Northern Ostrobothnia (Liminka, Oulu area) after the peace treaty. The first Romppainens moved to Lake Oulujärvi in 1609, five years after the Swedish Crown started to build a fortress in Kajaani. The town of Kajaani itself was founded around this remote fortress in 1651 by Count Per Brahe of Sweden. In 1617 Sweden conquered Karelia, Ingria and Estonia from Russia. Sweden lost it’s superiority when Russia became the greatest power of the Northern Europe in the 1700’s. Paltamo area was officially part of Sweden from 1595 to 1809. Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was part of the Czar’s Russia. Paltamo parish was devided into several parts in 1647 and 1786 (maps).

LINK: The monument for the first Finnish settlers in Kainuu 1552-1952

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